Shifting device for self-binding machines.



ua. 628,645. Patented July u, I899. w. a. snow. SIIIFTING DEVICE FORSELF BINDING MACHINES.

(Application flle'd Aug. 17, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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213% ATTORNEYS ca. PHOTO-LUNG Patented July If, I899.

W. B. BROWN. S'HIFTING DEVICE FOR'SELF BINDING MACHINES.

(Application filed Aug. 17, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT ()FFICE.

wILLIs B. BROWN, or AUBURN, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed Au ust-17, 1398To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS B. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Auburn, in the county of De Kalb, in the State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shifting Devicesfor Self-Binding Machines; and I .do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which formpart of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in shifting devices forself-binding machines.

It is well known that the binder of a harvesting-machine is madelaterally adjustable transversely of the machine to compensate for thevarying length of the grain-straw in a well-understood manner, that thepresent method of shifting the said binder is by means of a hand-lever,and that as the operator has several other hand-levers requiringfrequent manipulation it is'desirable that he be relieved of thisadditional one.

The object, therefore, of my present inven: tion is to provide a cheap,simple, and efficient means for readily and conveniently shifting oradjusting the binder in a self-binding harvester by means of foot-powerto accommodate the varyinglengths of the grain.

My improvement consists of a double or twopart rack-bar rigidly fixedupon the binder-frame and adapted to move therewith, a horizontalpower-transmittin g shaft having upon its spring-pressed outer end apinion arranged between the parallel sections of said rack-bar, adaptedto form'an actuating engagement with either of said rack-bar sectionsseparately, but not simultaneously, the said pinion being normally heldout of engagement with both of said sections, the said shaft having uponits other end a bevel gear wheel in mesh with the reel-actuatinggearwheel, a pedal-lever pivotally mounted in a fixed position orsupport within convenient reach of the operator, a series of leverspivotally connecting the said pedal with the vertically-adjustablespring-pressed endof said shaft, and a locking device adapted to rigidlysecure the binder in position under the de scribed conditions.

Patent No. 628,645, dated July 11, 1899.

. seannasam. (Nomodeh) In the accompanying drawings similarreference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention in position upon a commonform of selfbinding harvester, showing only so much of theharvesting-machine as is necessary to indicate the relative arrangementof my improvement thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the means fornormally supporting the rigid pinion out of engagement with the rackbarsections, showing the loose sleeve adjacent to said pinion, to which theoperatinglevers are connected. Fig. 3 is a detail side View of thedouble rack-bar. Fig. 4 is a detail of the upright connecting-rod in thelever mechanism in position in the loose sleeve on the outer end of thepower-transmitting shaft. Figs. 5 and 6 are details of the remaininglevers for transmitting the actuating impulse from the pedal-lever. Fig.7 is a detail of the pivoted pedal-lever, showing the manner of securingit in position upon the notched sector-plate orlever-stand. Fig. 8 is anenlarged detail of the locking device adapted to secure the binder inany desired position against displacement.

Referring now'particularly to Fig. 1, I have shown only so much of theself-binding machine as is necessary to illustrate the relativearrangement of the operative parts of my in vention. The harvester-frame1, having a tongue 2, the divider 3, the main or bull wheel 4, thegrain'elevator 5, provided with the conveyer-belts or traveling aprons 9and 10, the reel 8, the reel-supporting frame 6, the binder-deck 7, andthe operators seat 11, all of which are shown only in part, are of theusual or other proper construction and arrangement.

Upon any proper portion of the binder frame, preferably upon alongitudinal extension of the gas-pipe 12, is rigidly fixed by bolts orin other proper manner a double rack consisting of the horizontalrack-bars 13 and 14 in parallel arrangement and 'rigidly held inposition by the upright bolts or pins 15. These rack-bars areprovidedupon their inner and adjacent faces with transverse teeth 16,adapted for a meshing engagement with the actuating-pinion 17, presentlyto be described. The lower rack-bar has upon its lower face a pluralityof inwardly-projecting and apertured lugs or feet, by means of which itis rigidly bolted to its supporting-pipe 12, which is about eight incheslonger than such portion is ordinarily. This rack-bar is of sufficientlength to permit a proper lateral adjustment ofthe saidbinderattachment. The teeth upon said rack-bar sections do not extend quitetheir full length, a vacant space being left at one end of each bar, asshown-in Fig. 3, upon the inner end of the bar 14 and upon the other endof bar 13. The purpose of thus omitting teeth upon the said rack-bars isto limit the longitudinal movement of the rack-bar, as hereinafterdescribed. Directly below the gas-pipe 12 and a proper distancetherefrom is arranged the inverted angle-iron 18, whose inner end isrigidly secured to any suitable support. To the upper face of thisangle-iron is rigidly fixed the upright guide 19 by means of properrivets or bolts through a lateral flange 20 upon the lower end thereof.This guide 19 consists of a metal plate having an extended longitudinalopening adapted to receive and contain the powertransmitting shaft 21.Upon the outer end of this shaft 21 is fixed a rigid pinion 17, adaptedto form a meshing engagement with either the upper or lower rack, asshown. Adjacent to the inner face of said pinion upon the said shaft isarranged a loose collar 22, having its rear end loosely arranged in thesaid guide 19 and provided upon its extremity with an integral or fixedplate 23, which is slightly Wider than the said opening in said plate toprevent longitudinal displacement of said pinion by a forward thrust ofsaid shaft. To the lower face of said collar 22 is arranged an aperturedear 24, in which theupper end of the forward operating-rod 25 is hookedor secured. Upon the other end of the said shaft 21 is fixed the rigidbevel gearwheel 26, adapted to form a meshing engagement with and to beactuated by the bevel gear-wheel 27, which also actuates the reelmechanism through the meshing gear-wheel 28 and its power-transmittingshaft 29. The said guide 19 has in suitable openings in each extremitythereof a fixed bolt 30, whose innerend projects into said centralopening nearly to, but out of contact with, the said collar 22, Fig. 2.Upon the inner end of said bolts is loosely mounted a coil-spring 31,having one end thereof bearing against the saidcollar 22 and the otherend against the adjacent face of said opening. By this construction thesaid pinion 17 is normally held in close proximity to, but out ofcontact with, the said racks 16 by the said springs, and any verticaladjustment of the said pinion to bring it into contact with either ofsaid racks will have to be made against the tension of one or the otherof said springs. The means by which the operator brings the said pinioninto an actuating engagement with said racks may be described asfollows: A pedal-lever 32,. Fig. 7, is pivotally mounted midway its 7ends upon a proper supporting-bracket 33, which in turn is rigidly fixedto and supported by the hand-lever stand 34. The thrust-lever rod 35, ofproper dimensions, has its ends bent to form a hook upon each endthereof. Its rear end is then hooked in a proper opening in said pedal,near one extremity thereof, and its forward end is hooked in a suitableeye in the adjacent end of the operating-rod 36. The rear end of thisrod 36 is loosely mounted in a suitable bracket or hearing 37 upon oneof the braces 38 for the elevator 5 or other proper location, and hasits extremity bent to an inclined relation to the said rod, and has ahorizontal T 39 upon its forward extremity. This bevel-rod 36 also hasat or near its forward end a short lateral rigid rod 40 and is adaptedfor a rocking movement under the impulse of the said rod 35. To

the free end of this rod 40 is loosely secured the lower end. of thesaid link-rod 25, the upper hooked end of which is loosely mounted inthe eye of the said ear or lug 24. This link-rod passes through anelongated vertical slot in the said angle-iron 18, as shown, though thisred may, if desired, be arranged to pass upward at the rear of saidangle-iron and have its upper end secured to the lower end of the saidplate 23. At a suitable point on said angle-iron 18 is arranged avertical perforation in which is loosely mounted a pin 41, havingnearits upper end a rigid collar 42 and having its lower extended endprovided with an eye, to which the upper ends of the shortconnecting-chains 43 and 44 are secured the other ends of said chainsbeing'fastened to the opposite ends or arms of the head 39 of saidoperating-rod 36. Upon this pin 41 is loosely mounted a spiral spring45, having one end thereof bearing against the lower face of said rigidcollar 42 and its other end bearing against the upper face of saidangleiron. This spring and collar are then inclosed in a proper hood orshield 46, having a suitable perforation in its top for the upper freeend of said pin 41, which is adapted ICC under the tension of saidspring to automatically enter one of a series of perforations upon thelower face of said gas-pipe for the purpose of rigidly locking thebinder in any desired lateral adjustment.

The operating of my invention thus described is, briefly stated, asfollows: The operator, seated upon the seat 11, with his usual adjustinghand-levers at his right hand, is. free tohold his lines in his lefthand andoperate my improvement at pleasure with his left foot, asfollows: When it is desired to shift the binder in awell-understoodmanner for the proper binding of long grain, the op erator pressesforward and downward upon the upper end of the pedal 32, thereby givingthe thrust-lever 35 a rearward pull, which thereby oscillates or rocksthe lever 36 to the left, thus throwing upward the free end of the shortarm 40 thereof. This movement obviously forces the linkrod 25 upward,

IIS

thereby throwing the revolving pinion 17 into an actuating engagementwith the upper rack 13, which thus shifts or adjusts the binder in thedesired direction or rearwardly. This movement of the said rocking lever36 also withdraws the locking-pin 41 from its en gagement with the saidapertured pipe 12 by means of the chain 43 against the tension of thespiral spring 45. Obviously when the operator removes the said pressurefrom the pedal 32 the said pin of the locking device will automaticallyengage the next adjacent perforation in the said pipe 12, and therebyrigidly secure the binder in the desired position under all ordinaryconditions of service. When it is desired to adjust the binder for shortgrain, the above operation is reversed, the operator pushing forwardagainst the lower end of said pedal, which thrusts the rod 35 forwardand rocks or oscillates the rod or lever 36 to the right, therebypulling down- Ward on the link-rod 25 and bringing the said revolvingpinion 17 into an actu ating en gagement with the lower rack 14, whichthus shifts the binder in a forward direction.

As a precaution against the eifects of momentary inattention upon thepart of the operator, the last two or three teeth are omitted upon therear end of said racks relative to the direction of travel of the saidbinder, thereby throwing the said pinion out of its engagement beforeany damage can result.

It is obvious that my improvement can be variously modified in itsdetails of construction and arrangement without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention, which consists in providing abinder-shifting attachment adapted to be operated by foot-power.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent is- 1. A shifting attachment for self-binding machines consistingof a double rack-bar fixed upon the binder-frame; a revoluble pinionadapted to shift the said binder by an actuating engagement with thesaid rack-bar, and normally out of mesh therewith; means for driving thesaid pinion; and means for bringing the said pinion into an actuatingengage-- ment with either section of said rack-bar as described.

2. In a binder-shifting attachment, a double rack-bar fixed upon thebinder-frame an actuating meshing pinion adapted to engage but onesection of said rack-bar at a time; means for normally supporting saidpinion out of such engagement; a pedal-lever under the control of theoperator; and means for pivotally connecting the said pedal-lever withthe said pinion whereby the said pinion is brought into such anactuating engagement at pleasure.

3. In a binder-shiftin g device a double rackbar consisting of twohorizontal racks in vertical alinement mounted upon the binderframe;means for laterally adjusting said binder consisting of a revolubleshaft having upon its inner end a fixed bevel gear-wheel, and havingupon its outer end a rigid pinion normally out of mesh with said racks,but adapted for an actuating engagement therewith at the pleasure of theoperator; a piv oted pedal-lever; means for pivotally con nectin g thesaid pedal-lever with the forward end of said shaft for the purposespecified; and means for looking or securing the said binder in anydesired adjustment.

4. The combination in an apparatus of the class specified, of a two-partrack-bar whose parallel sections are in vertical alinement; apowertransmitting shaft having upon its outer end a proper driving gear,and having upon its inner end a fixed pinion adapted for a meshingengagement with said rack bar; a loose sleeve arranged upon the saidshaft adjaeent to the said pinion as described; an up rightsupporting-guide adapted to normally secure the said pinion out of suchengagement, but permitting such engagement against the tension ofoppositely-arranged coil-springs by a vertical adjustment as shown; anactuating pedal-lever; and means for connecting said pedal-lever withthe forward end of said shaft.

5. In an apparatus of the class specified, a two-part rack-bar havingparallel sections in vertical alinement; a power transmitting shafthaving upon one end a driving-gear, and having upon the other end arigid pinion adapted for an actuating engagement with said rack-bar; aloose sleeve on said shaft adjacent to said pinion; an uprightsupportingguide having a central longitudinal opening for said shaft,and provided with spiral springs in said opening upon the opposite sidesof said shaft, and adapted to normally support the said pinion out ofengagement with said rack-bar as described; a pivoted pedal-lever; apivoted thrust-lever 35 having one end connected to the said pedal andthe other end to the rod 36; the operating rocking lever or rod 36arranged as shown; and a link-rod 25 pivotally connecting the forwardend of said rocking lever with said sleeve for the purpose of verticallyadjusting said pinion into a meshing engagement with either of saidrack-bar sections against the tension of said springs, all substantiallyas described.

Signed by me at Auburn, in the county of De Kalb, State of Indiana, this13th day of August, AD. 1898.

WILLIS B. BRO\VN.

Witnesses:

MICHAEL BOLAND, CARL R. BRowN.

